The Iubs-Scope-Unesco Program of Research in Biodiversity

A planning workshop was called by IUBS (the International Union of Biological Sciences) at the Harvard Forest to develop an international research program in biodiversity, including the inventorying and monitoring of the world's biological diversity. Workshop participants were asked to develop research hypotheses that answer aspects of the question "What is the importance of biodiversity for the proper functioning of biological systems, from populations to ecosystems?" The hypotheses developed dealt with the changes that might be expected in biodiversity as a result of anthropogenic activity and also the complementary issue of how changes in biodiversity will affect the functioning of biological systems. Habitat fragmentation, loss and addition of species, changes in the functional and structural attributes of ecosystems, and the ability of depauperate ecosystems to respond to climatic and other changes, were addressed. Two issues emerged from the workshop as needing serious investigation. The first is the degree to which each species of plants and animals is unique. Many species are similar in appearance; many more perform similar ecological functions (primary producers, herbivores, decomposers, etc.). However, no two species are alike in their genetic structure or in all functional features. A very fundamental question for managers and decision-makers is the degree to which a species can substitute for another in an ecosystem, that is, how much is ecosystem function impaired when a species is lost or gained? Since human activities are resulting in both losses and introductions, a careful and precise answer to this question is essential. The second issue concerns habitat fragmentation. Human activity is creating an unprecedented fragmentation of natural habitats and ecosystems all over the world. Habitat fragmentation disrupts gene flow and propagule dispersal, but can result in increased speciation and differentiation of populations. Much more information is needed before it will be possible to predict the effects of habitat fragmentation. Without this information precise management of natural and artificial ecosystems is not possible. It is one of the issues tagged by the workshop as of crucial importance for future research. The workshop pointed out once more the serious problem that the decline in taxonomic activity is creating. There is a serious shortage of trained systematists all over the world, but particularly in tropical countries where most of the world's diversity is located. A strong recommendation from the workshop is that support for training and research in systematics be increased, that systematic collections be upgraded and supported, and that more employment opportunities for systematists be created.